LOVE.contemporary

LOVE.contemporary project engages 31 Ukrainian contemporary artists to ponder on phenomena of love as a main power of life. 15 artistic couples propose their personal understanding of the eternal values.

Press Release

Curator Yulia Nuzhina on the project:Socially and politically up-to-date art, installations and actions pointed at existing moment became usual practice for the newest Ukrainian art. Stating personal position for the events, self identification in society, war against political symbols and out of date ideologies – these are global aims of the contemporary art, base for the ongoing activities of the artist being a part of society. By taking an active position and creating new visual language contemporary artists become a part of a massive mechanism which works here and now.Taking an active part in life on “here and now” moment, art wars with the world for an all around the Earth rightness, contemporary art often leaves aside the true values, the ones that are basis not only for the art and society, but for the human existence as it is.LOVE.contemporary art project gives a chance for the Ukrainian contemporary artists to reveal their thoughts about love as one of the main powers of human existence.A well known philosopher Erich Fromm said that human always seeks for the “interpersonal unity”. And love, for Fromm, is the mature answer to the problem of human existence and the only form that leads us to the interpersonal unity.Love is one of the key lines in all philosophical systems and humanistic religions of the last four thousand years of Western and Eastern history. Love is one of the fundamental themes in the world’s culture and art. And it remains so in the war tearing society as well.“All You Need Is Love” is a song of The Beatles, performed in 1967, which became an anthem of the anti-war protests around the globe. When in 1971 John Lennon was asked if his songs are propaganda, he said: “Sure. I’m a revolutionary artist. My art is dedicated to change. ”Artists of different generations of Ukrainian contemporary art scene are to challenge this topic. Each couple became successful due to such thing as love among others.Could such category as “love” make an impact on the person’s self identification? Is it an influential power of the modern society? How this category impacts an social development and does it do so? The project’s participants answer to those questions. Man and women artistic view of the love’s significance in the era of consumerism is unfolding through the paintings, photography, installations and video art.